


Mistaken Identity

by Kaatyr



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Kidnapping, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:14:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29366844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaatyr/pseuds/Kaatyr
Summary: Leorio needs help from a stranger to get him out of a bad situation.
Relationships: Kurapika & Leorio Paladiknight
Kudos: 8





	Mistaken Identity

Leorio’s shoulders ached. The position he was in, with his wrists tied behind his back, wasn’t totally uncomfortable or anything but the fact that he’d been in the same position for what felt like hours was causing his muscles to stiffen and cramp. The concrete floor he was sitting on did no favours for his backside, either. Leorio was a skinny guy. He didn’t have a lot of padding in that area.

Leorio had spent his time trying to count the boxes by the thin light coming through a dusty window situated high in the wall he leaned against. They were stacked high on shelves or on the floor. Leorio supposed that he was probably in some sort of storage room.

Light cracked the darkness as the door creaked open. Leorio squinted, hope and fear dancing a waltz in his chest. Was this his captor coming to do… well, whatever they planned on doing to him? Or was it a potential ally? Someone who could get him the hell out of here?

Or maybe just someone who’d explain what the fuck was going on, at least?

Leorio heard a light switch being flipped. He shut his eyes quickly as LED bulbs flickered to life, illuminating the room beyond the shelter of his eyelids.

He heard a small noise of surprise, and slowly cracked open his eyes. He grimaced at the brightness, tears gathering. A hazy figure came into view.

Leorio jerked as something touched him. The tape over his mouth was suddenly yanked off, and Leorio let out a yelp of pain.

“Shit!” he exclaimed, his skin stinging. He squinted at the person kneeling next to him. It was a blond guy wearing a puzzled frown. The blond flicked the tape away as if it had insulted him, before scrutinising Leorio again.

“I’m going to take a stab in the dark here,” he said, “and guess that you pissed someone off. Right?” He sat back on his heels, eyeing Leorio as he waited for a response.

Leorio looked him over, debating his options silently. Who the hell was this guy? He wore a uniform that looked vaguely familiar to Leorio. The logo on his shirt was for a delivery company that Leorio had seen in the area recently. Did that mean that Leorio was at the company’s warehouse or something? Was this guy an employee that had just stumbled onto him by accident?

What sort of shady crap was this company into that involved kidnapping?

If this guy was just an ignorant employee, Leorio was home-free if he could just convince this guy to help him.

“I don’t know,” he admitted honestly, shrugging as best he could. He winced as his shoulders protested. “Jeez, could you untie me, please? My shoulders and arms are killing me.”

Infuriatingly, the blond guy, whose name was Kurapika, if the name tag he wore was accurate—what kind of delivery driver had his name on his shirt, anyway, was that actually a thing?—did nothing. He continued to assess Leorio with cautious grey eyes.

Something about this guy seemed… off to Leorio, but he couldn’t put his finger on why. Maybe it was the caution he was displaying? Was finding a bound person in the store room a common occurrence in this company or something?

“Most people don’t find themselves in your predicament unless they’ve attracted the attention of… certain sorts,” Kurapika said slowly.

Leorio gave the guy a flat stare. “Are you seriously blaming me for this?” he demanded. “I have no fucking clue what’s going on here. I’m just going about my day, minding my own business, when someone grabs me and stuffs me into a van. Like, no ‘hello, my name is…’ or anything. So don’t you dare try and put this on me.” Leorio glared at the blond, feeling irritated beyond reason.

Maybe lashing out wasn’t the best tactic in this situation, but Leorio was acutely aware that he had no idea how much time he had left. How long would it be before someone stumbled in here and found them? How long before Kurapika was chased out, no doubt with a request to not mention this to anyone. Ever.

“You really don’t know why somebody would do this?” Kurapika inquired. “You don’t owe anybody money? Never done anything that might’ve bothered someone?”

Leorio snorted. “I’ve probably bothered plenty of people,” he said. “I’m sure my neighbours hate it when I have my friends over for the weekend. And the patient I told to stop smoking this morning sure isn’t my biggest fan right now, but I’ve never pissed anyone off so much that they’d do anything like this. Now, can you fucking untie me?”

The bastard still looked uncertain. “Patient?” he asked.

“Yes, I’m a doctor. That means that I’m going to be missed pretty quickly. The cops are going to be looking for me. So, I’d like to get out of here before my roommate decides that since I’ve missed one day of work, I’m probably dead and he can sell my stuff.”

Kurapika looked severely conflicted. He glanced over his shoulder, back toward the door of the storage room, before scrutinising Leorio again.

“Mr Nostrade isn’t here right now,” he said. “But he’ll be back in a half hour or so… Does that name ring any bells?”

“Nostrade? Nostrade Deliveries?” Leorio jerked his chin toward Kurapika’s shirt. “Seen you guys around town, but that’s all.”

“Have you ever done any business with Mr Nostrade or his company?”

“Definitely not. I’m a doctor, damn it. Just a doctor,” Leorio complained. “I’m too busy to get into anything shady.”

Other than a few ‘unofficial’ betting pools in college to make some money on the side to fund his education, but Leorio very much doubted that had anything to do with his current predicament. That was years ago, and small-time.

“You must be very unlucky, then,” Kurapika observed.

“Look, seriously, man. Untie me. Come on,” Leorio pleaded.

Kurapika pressed his lips together before giving a short nod. “Wriggle around,” he ordered.

Oh, thank God. Leorio squirmed around so that Kurapika could reach his wrists. Kurapika did something with his sleeve, and Leorio blanched as a knife slipped out from beneath his cuff. What kind of delivery driver was this guy? Who needed to carry a concealed knife up his sleeve?

The ropes parted easily for the sharp blade. Leorio shook out his shoulders and massaged his wrists.

“Thanks, man,” he said with relief.

“Come on. You’ll need to be gone before Mr Nostrade gets back.”

Kurapika stood, knife disappearing beneath his cuff again. Leorio got to his own feet, grimacing as his legs argued that Leorio was really working them too hard.

Kurapika turned on his heel and strode to the door. Leorio followed. It was such a relief to feel the blood pumping properly through his veins again, even though it was uncomfortable as well.

Kurapika pushed open the door, glanced around it, then gestured for Leorio to go through. Leorio preceded him into the massive room beyond.

“Wait over there.” Kurapika pointed to a delivery truck parked near the entrance to the warehouse. “Duck inside the back if anyone comes in. No one should, though. I’m the only person with a pick-up scheduled for this hour.”

The blond disappeared back into the storage room. Leorio headed over to the truck and waited near the tailgate. Kurapika made a few trips back and forth, stocking the back of the truck with boxes, before instructing Leorio to get into the passenger seat while he secured the back of the truck.

“I’ll drop you off at the train station,” he said. “Is that okay?”

“Definitely,” Leorio agreed. “Thanks, buddy.”

Kurapika gave him a flat stare as he pulled out of the warehouse.

“I’m not your buddy,” he said coldly.

“Okay. Right,” Leorio responded dryly.


End file.
